The complaint comes after Nevada passed a law eliminating the statute of limitations for civil sexual assault cases.
A Nevada lawsuit becomes the latest to accuse Bill Cosby of sexual assault, joining a string of high-profile allegations against the former US TV star.
Nine women came forward Thursday with a lawsuit alleging that Cosby, once known as “American Dad,” drugged and beat them between 1979 and 1992.
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, describes alleged assaults in locker rooms, a hotel and various Cosby residences. It seeks compensation for crimes including sexual assault, battery and false imprisonment.
The lawsuit follows a change in Nevada law that removed the statute of limitations for adult sexual assault survivors to pursue civil cases.
Previously, adult victims had only two years to file civil charges. But on June 2, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a bill titled “Justice for Victims of Crime,” a nationwide statute of limitations for sexual assault charges. part of the trend.
“I’ve fought for survivors of sexual assault for years, and today is the first time I’ve been able to fight for myself,” said Lise-Lotte Lublin, a school teacher and former model. There has long been a push to expand the statute of limitations in sexual violence cases.
In a statement issued through her lawyer, Lublin celebrated the passing of the law on June 2.
“With the new law changes, I can now take my attacker, Bill Cosby, to court. My journey has only just begun, but I am grateful for this opportunity for justice,” she said.
Lublin initially filed a lawsuit against Cosby in Las Vegas in late 2014, inspired by other women coming forward. But she soon discovered her case could not proceed because the statute of limitations had expired.
She claims Cosby called her to the Las Vegas Hilton in 1989 on the condition that she practice acting. Once there, she claimed Cosby gave her alcohol-fortified drinks to “help her relax.” But she soon lost consciousness and woke up later in her own bed with no idea how she got there.
Lublin told US media that she recognized her own experience in the stories of other women, especially during the #MeToo movement.
More than 60 women have accused Cosby of sexual assault, harassment or rape, including drug use. For example, one of the nine women in Thursday’s complaint accused Cosby of drugging her with nonalcoholic cider and raping her in a Nevada hotel room.
Another woman in Los Angeles who received $500,000 last year claims Cosby sexually abused her at the Playboy Mansion when she was 16. The lawsuit was also made possible by California’s decision to drop the statute of limitations for civil sexual assault cases.
But in 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned a high-profile criminal conviction against Cosby that saw him serve three years in prison.
The court argued that Cosby’s “due process rights” were violated when prosecutors assured the TV star that he would not be prosecuted if he testified. After he did so – explaining that he gave women sleeping pills before sex – the testimony later became key evidence in the overturned criminal case.
Cosby has maintained his innocence, and his lawyers and advocacy team have attacked legislative campaigns to expand or eliminate the statute of limitations for civil sexual assault cases.
“These judges and legislators have been letting these civil suits fill their docket because they know these women are not fighting for victims, but because they are addicted to massive amounts of media attention and greed,” said Andrew Cosby, a publicist. Wyatt said on Wednesday.
